Crimes of Innocence
by Tori Himura
Summary: Kenshin time-travels to modern times he tries to continue the life of a rurouni. But when he accidentally kills a man he is taken by the police and charged with murder. (crapy summery...Just read it)
1. Default Chapter

Tori Hiyashi knocked on the door of Samantha's trailer. It was a usually bright morning, for November that is. It was fairly warm and the sun was shining. The snow form the night before had all but melted. It was nice change after all the cold weather. She threw back the hood of her hoodie causally, letting her black hair catch the sunlight.

She rapped on the door again. "Hay, Sam, it's me!" she called.

The door opened slowly and Samantha's head picked round it carefully. She seemed surprised for brief moment; then she broke into a smile. Tori raised a finger, an indication she was about to speak, but Samantha, recognizing this sign, put a finger to her lips. Tori raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Oh, Tori!" Sam whispered excitedly, barely able to keep her voice even. "You'll never believe this—but…I have someone I want you to meet." And before Tori could react she grabbed the neck of her friend's hoodie and dragged her inside the house. She gave Tori a little push into the living room and hastily shut the door behind her.

It took Tori's eyes a moment to adjust to the dimness of the room. Sam had all the dark green curtains shut tight and it was almost as dark a night. But they did adjust. She had clapped her hands over her mouth to stop from screaming.

In the middle of the room, lying on a makeshift bed on the floor was a young man asleep. He had long auburn hair that lay about his shoulders and he wore a loose, scarlet, Japanese-style kimono. Upon his left check was a mark in the shape of an "X".

Tori squealed from behind her hands and grabbed onto Samantha's shoulder as thought she might faint. And she might have. Her heart was beating so fast one would think she was having a heart attack. Samantha "shhhh" ed her sharply as she pulled the awestruck girl into an adjacent kitchen. She prided to other girl loose. It took Tori a moment to find her breath. And when she did…

"_Who is that?_" she screeched, clearly annunciating ever syllable. "He's _hot_."

"I _know_." Samantha returned excitedly, "Isn't he incredible!"

"Where did you _get him_? Like, a school pageant?'

"_Noooo_," said Samantha with irritation, "I found him on the doorstep out cold last night." Tori looked incredulous. "No. Really. He's got some kind of fever. Been in and out of consciousness all night. Tori, I think he's the _real thing_."

Tori snorted. "Yah, we're talkin' time-machine, right?"

Samantha shook her head, still beaming. "No! Well, I don't knew, couldn't get mush out of him, for the brief periods of consciousness, but hay, he has a _sword_. An actual, authentic, honest-to-goodness, _Japanese katana_!" With a frantic wave, she gestured at the counter top. Upon it tile lay, side by side and sword and black sheathe. The blade glinted ominously. To Tori it was a picture of beauty. She had a katana of her own; but of course it was made in China. How real was that? But this was from Japan! It made a big difference.

Samantha noticed Tori's reaction to the sword, she knowing of her love of blades. "Yep. It's Japanese. Bet you kill for something like that?" All her friend could do was nod. "Well I saw it in action. He got a bit delirious and started slashing that thing around in here. I had to confiscate it." She then inclined her head to a corner of the kitchen. There upon the floor lay a small wooden coffee table. It was sliced neatly in half. Tori squeaked. "Yah, it was kool. But there goes my allowance for the next, um, three weeks. It was kind of an antique."

Tori ginned weakly. "So what dose you mom say to having a man sleeping in your living room?" She added with a sly smile.

"Uh, well…"Samantha's checks burned. "They're, um, gone for a week on business, so—um yah… They have no idea."

"You have never been one to keep the rules, have you?"

"No."

Tori sighed. "Well it's more then your life's worth for then to find out. But hay! Can't blame ya'. Sooo, what's the guy's name anyway?"

"Well, he calls himself Kenshin," Samantha replied (_Ahhhh_, _Kenshin, swordheart_. Tori thought, _what a beautiful name!_) "But I could get much else out of him."

"Who is this Sam?"

Tori' released Samantha's shoulders, which she had again taken to gripping tightly and wheeled around on the balls of her feet. _That beautiful, soft, voice!_ Her heart skipped two beats. That man, _Kenshin_ then, stood not five paces behind her, leaning against the doorframe. His reddish hair fell around his face with a causal elegance that that most movie stars couldn't have achieved. But even with that it was his eyes that really struck her. They were the most pronounced blue she had even seen. Bright and deep like pools of water. Her knees felt weak.

"Sam," he said again, his voice strained. He sunk to his knees.

"Tori," Samantha ordered urgently, "Get some cold water and a cloth." She rounded on the man. "Kenshin! For the last time, I told you to stay in your bed! Your to sick to be up!"

Kenshin smiled playfully, turned, and crawled away on his hand and knees back top his bed. Samantha throws up her hands in frustration.

The man will never get better! As soon as he opens his eyes he'll try to get up and yet he is unable to stand!"

"You know," Tori returned, "You sounded disturbingly like our moms just then."

Samantha didn't reply but swept from the room with Tori at her heals caring a metal bucket of water in her arms. Kenshin was lying obediently in his bed. Sam knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his forehead. Sighing she spoke to Tori.

"You see? His burning up! Wet that cloth and hand it to me." Tori obeyed. Samantha placed it on Kenshin temple. He looked over and met her eyes. She glared at him. "Now you stay right here, got it?" He nodded weakly. "Good."

Tori paused for moment before speaking her thoughts. "Um, Sam? Can I like, stay over, and um, yah…" She trailed off as she met Kenshin's eye.

Samantha look up and smiled mischievously. "You want to? Call your dad."

* * *

Tori hung up the phone, her face shining. "Yesssss! He said I could!" She made a fist of triumph.

Samantha walked up to her. "How long?"

"Ahhhh, as long a I want."

"Kool."

They glanced at Kenshin who lay on lay o his back staring ceiling with almost no expression on his face. Tori involuntarily clapped a hand to her heart. Samantha saw it out of the corner of her eye and grinned.

"You _like_ him don't you?" Tori nodded weakly. "I'll set up a bed for you in the living room…" she winked playfully.

* * *

Both girls ended up in sleeping in the room with Kenshin. Tori on one side of him, Sam up on the couch. They both cared for him. Samantha was too afraid to called a doctor or anyone for that matter. They might take try to carry him off like some kind of animal if they knew who he was. Sam's mom was a nurse.

Kenshin's fever broke after four days. Not bad. He was intently grateful to the girls for helping him. Samantha demanded that as "payment" he tell them a bit a bout himself and answer their questions. He hesitated, at first, but he got out of it was seeing her get really ticked.

"Listen you, took you in, at my own mortal risk, and help you to get on your feet and all I've got out of you is your name!" She grabbed the neck of his kimono and looked him directly in the eyes. "_Well_?" Tori turned away smiling.

Sam released him and he fell back on his hands grinning guiltily. "This one cannot tell…oro!" She had thrown a pillow at him. He duck just in time. "Please steel down missy! This one could have been—ORO!" The second pillow hit him square in the face and knocked him flat on his back.

"Well?"

"This one gives in!" Kenshin pleaded laughing. "Sam has a powerful throw, that she dose!"

"All right, then. So who are you really…?"

Kenshin answered all their questions. But Sam still had a feeling he was only telling half-truths. But when they learned was strange enough. His full was Himura Kenshin and he was _the real thing_. He had been a samurai in the Medji Revolution. He'd been at the top of the government's plans and was behind mush of it. But then they stared to want to use him as an assassin. He tried then to back and was in the end forced to flee Kyoto. But the government deiced he knew too much and could not be allowed to go out into the open. He had learned of his pursuers and fled for his life. But in the end they caught up with him and he was forced to kill them. Yet there were many. He fled again. Then everything was blurry. All he can recall is running, then falling from weakness—and lo and behold, and wakes to find himself on Samantha's porch. He had no recollection of 'time-travel'.

"But I don't when to go back." Kenshin concluded. "I've had enough of that life. I've seen enough blood spilt."

"Strange," Tori muttered. "You say you were one of the top people?" Kenshin nodded. "When why haven't I heard of you? I've read all the history of the Japanese Revolution, and I know some of the names you mentioned, but there's no reference to a Himura Kenshin anywhere."

"This one didn't go under the name of 'Kenshin' in the war…" Kenshin whispered sadly. Then he added hesitantly, "Have you heard of the Battousai?" Tori nodded, unable to speak.

There was a heavy silence in the room. On one wanted to be he first to break it. Samantha and Kenshin stared at the carpet. Tori looked blankly at the wall, fiddling with her hair. They might have stayed in that silence forever had not the phone rang. Samantha muttered in a quite voice that she'd get and walked into the kitchen. Tori and Kenshin just nodded.

Sam looked on the caller ID. Hm, wireless caller. She picked it up. Tori was dimly aware of Samantha voice in the back of her thoughts.

"Yah, high mom! Really? kk. How was it? Kool. Everything's fine. Ohhh. Not _much_. Yah…Gotcha! See you soon!" And she hung up.

Tori got to her feet. "Well?'

Sam sighed and looked over at Kenshin dejectedly. "My mom and dad just got off the plain in Salt Lake. My mom's friend will pick them up. They'll most likely be home in an hour, at the least. You'll have to get out, Kenshin."

Tori stepped forward defensively. "But—where will he go? You can't just chuck him out!" She glanced at the Japanese.

"This should be just find!" said Himura cheerily. "Love sleeping under the stars, that I do!"

"Doubt you'll see much of the that." Sam muttered so only Tori could here.

"So, where is this ones katana?" he asked her. She pointed to the kitchen. He stood and went to fetch it, walking right between them as though they were part of the wall. He seemed to have something on his mind, Tori noted. He returned with the blade tied in his sash. It looked so natural. Tori felt her checks coloring. _Not now_, she pleaded with her self. "I guess I'll be going then."

"But…" said Samantha and Tori in unison.

"No.'" Kenshin uninterrupted more firmly. "This one can't take any chances. I'll be just fine."

"Where will you go?"

"What will you do?"

"This one doesn't know yet." Kenshin replied offhandedly. He then passed for a moment as thought trying to remember something, then said, "You don't have something I use to tie this one's hair back?"

"Sssssure," muttered Samantha.

Sam found an one ebony in her junk. He took it gratefully and tied a neat ponytail.

"Much better! This ones dose not like his hair out, that he most certainly does not!"

"Shame." Tori signed.

"Oro?" Kenshin looked at her, perplexed.

"Nothing…"

"OK, then this one will go now." and he turned towards the door and let himself out. But before closing it again and looked over his shoulder and said, "Do not look for this one, but I promise I will came again when I can. I have things I must do. Stay out of trouble. Farwell." And he was gone. Samantha and Tori did not see him again for a long time.

* * *

Well, what do you think so far????????? It was based on a crazy dream I had, soooooo I might be a little different. Kenshin's personality scared me! An anime fic see thought the eyes of anime freaks, of course it'll be scary. R&R please! 


	2. Ch 2

Tori and Samantha sat in Tori's living room. It was 9:00 at night and they were still absorbed in the Love Fortune. It was Tori's turn.

"Umm, sets see…" she muttered, "What you think would be good one?" Her eyes lit up. "Owww, I got one." She smiled mischievously. "How 'bout who will cough with me cough…"

Samantha retuned her smile. "Humm, let me see… …" She flipped down the cards. "Ahhh, looks like Dark has his eyes on you."

"Hum, yah, he's hot, but I'd prefer Inuyasha personally. I mean _personally_…" Tori ended mysteriously. "You got Yami, no fare,"

Samantha drew herself up proudly. "Yes, I know, isn't it sad. I almost pity you."

Tori frowned and gave San the 'evil eye'. "You have to rub it in."

"So," sand Samantha suddenly, "when did you say your dad would be back?"

"Oh, not till tomorrow afternoon."

"Just wondering…" She started to gather to cards into piles.

Just then there was a knock at the door. The girls froze. Tori hesitated. She'd always hated answering the doors. But she got to her feet as Sam continued organizing the cards. The knock came again. Tori headed over and answered it.

Kenshin stood in the doorway. "Konichiewa!" he said cheerfully, with a quick wave of his hand. "Can this one use your bathroom?"

Tori fell in dead faint. Kenshin didn't seem to notice.

" I went over to Sam's house and her papa said she wasen't there. So here this one came! Well just happened to passing by anyway and…"

Samantha pounced on Kenshin. She grabbed him by the kimono and dragged him inside. "Go then!" She slammed the door so heard the window pains rattled.

Kenshin pulled free and stared to back away. "Now settle down…"

Samantha drabbed Tori's sword of the shelf. Kenshin turned and fled. "This one is going! This one is going!"

"Going where?" she pulled the sword from its sheath.

Kenshin put up his hands smiling weakly. "N-now put that away. Th-th-this one might g-get hurt… … … You do know that's the sharp end? —Oro!"

* * *

Tori sat back on the rocking chair. "So, where have you _been_? What have you been doing?" 

Kenshin flinched as he withdrew the icepack from his forehead reviling a nasty lump. "Well, this one has been traveling around allot. After what you did I thought this oneshould pays his respects to her land by helping the people. It was like I owed something to this weird society ("'Society', that a big word isn't it?" growled Samantha) ("You've been 'traveling', on foot?" cried Tori.) though your officers did seem to like what this one was doing. Got into a few tangles…"

"Let me guess, Himura," said Samantha dryly, "You're hiding from the cops?" Kenshin nodded. "Wow…how did I guess? Can you ever stay out of trouble?"

"I've been hiding up in the place you called the 'club house'."

"What?!" cried Tori, offended. "You over just three blocks away and you waited a year to stop by? You had us worried sick!" She seemed truly broken hearted.

"Well I was just walking by…"

"Oh, good grief!"

Tori was on her feet. Kenshin looked at her, eyebrows disappearing beneath his bangs. She threw her hair over her shoulder with a quick flick of her head. A smirk tugged at the corner of Samantha's mouth. She walked over to Himura's side and knelt down in front of him. Her eyes appeared to be very serious. Her arm snapped forward and grabbed hold of his kimono. He flushed involuntarily. Samantha withdrew a pile of cards card from the table behind her. She thumbed them into a fan. Himura had six hearts, Well, well ,well.

Tori edged closer to Kenshin, not taking her eyes or hands of him. "Sh-show me your home."

Kenshin pulled himself free. "I I'll do that…" he muttered uncertenly.

He got to his feet. Samantha pushed the card together and put them into her jacket pocket. Tori seemed also to come to herself as she rose to her feet with them. They follow him out into a pitch-black night.

Tori froze on the doorstep. She clapped her arms around her waist, shivering. "Woe. Ok. It's cold! I might need a coat. Be right back."

San sighed. "Hurry up. Ice Apparition," she added under her breath. Kenshin gave her a flitting glance.

For a brief moment everything seemed completely silent. Neither spoke. Thought only notice was the wind whistling through the trees and an occasional car off in the distance.

"AHHHHHH!"

Both Samantha and Kenshin jumped out of their skin. Tori came dashing out the door and slammed into the railing, coat hanging off one arm.

"What in the heck was that!" she screamed in alarm.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out… … …Himura Kenshin! Get back here! Where do you think your going?"

Kenshin had turned away in blink of an eye and was now headingin the discretion of the shout, his hand clutching his sword hilt. Sam and Tori exchanged exasperated glances and took off after him. _Now what is he up to?_ Tori gowned inwardly.

He was fast! When the girl finally caught up with him he was backed against the side of a house about a block down. The scream must have come from the backyard. Pressing himself against it wall, perfectly still, he was blending into the shadows. If Tori hadn't been looking for him she admitted she probably woundn't have seen him there.

They dashed up beside him. Sam was about to speak when he suddenly rounded on her, warning her to be silent. Tori noticed immediately that a change had come over him. All playful innocence had vanished from his features. There was a powerful awareness about him. Eyes normally like an open book seemed devoid of all emotion. Like stone. She suppressed a shutter.

He waved them back with a quick thrust of his arm and turned away, creping along the side of the house, his steps soundless. Sam and Tori followed him aways, but kept their distance. He peered around the side of the house and his gasp was like the growl of a wolf.

A young woman lay, pinned to the earth, with a large man atop her body. She was gagged. He held her down with his knees. In one hand he had a knife to her throat, with the other he was tearing off her jecket. Kenshin's knuckles became white as the grip on the katana tightened. Tori noticed that he trembled slightly.

"Kenshin…" she began in a whisper.

"Quiet," he snapped, in an unrecognizable steely voice. "Stay away from me." Tori recoiled. "Don't move from this spot till I tell you." And he stepped out form the shadows into the illumination of the streetlights.

Both attacker and victim look at Kenshin in alarm.

For moment no one moved. All eyes were on Himura, his light auburn hair stirring in the breeze. He stood upright, back strait, almost proud, and seemingly unaware of the piercing eyes that gazed upon him. His face was ridge like a mask, ofhate. The corner of his mouth was drawn back in a soundless snarl. He brought himself forward; his left had curled around the sheath. Then was the silence broken. _Click! _He thumbed his blade loose.

It was then the attacker realized what was happening, and he did not seem to think it would be a fight he could win. Not with his knife, against Kenshin's tachi. (QN: A tachi is the real name of a the traditional curved katana. And no, he dos not have his sakabatou "reverse-blade sword".) He leapt upon his feet, knife in hand—and plunged it right in the women's breast. Then without thought he turn to flee.

Kenshin gave a horrible cry of rage and leapt after the man with staggering agility. His eyesnow mad with rage. He seemed to glide rather then run. He over took his adversary with visible effort. Then he came to a stop suddenly, barring the man's way. The man slid to a stop, almost falling, shock written clearly on his face. Kenshin locked eyes with him. The man seemed become paralyzed. No word was spoken. At least not with words. The blade flew from its sheath, in a flash of moonlit steel. Tori covered her eyes.

There was a horrible sound of blade cutting flash, then the man scream, which was cut short and a soft thump as he fell upon the earth. Kenshin knelt and wiped his blade upon the grass. Then his eyes fell upon the woman. He quickly sheathed his katana and came and knelt by her side. He removed her gag and gently put a hand round her head and tried to lift it up. He hung his head. This time his trembling was visible.

"She's dead… … …" He whispered, his voice shaking with disbelief.

The girls ran over to him. "What the heck were you doing?" Samantha shrieked, her own voice trembling.

Kenshin did seem to hear her. He grabbed the handle of the knife and attempted to pull it from the body. "This one told you to stay away." The knife came loose.

San whacked him in the back of the head. "You wool brain! Don't touch that! Come on, lets just get out of here."

Kenshin appeared unaffected by her abuse this time. He held the knife in his fist by the blade. His grip tightened; the blade broke in half. Red appeared between his closed fingers. He opened his hand and cringed with the sharp pain, as the fragments fell into the grass. The new shock brought back Tori's voice.

"W-why did y-you k-kill him?"

Kenshin looked up at her. He seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you kill that man?" Her voice became somewhat frantic.

Kenshin titled his had to one side. "This one never…" He drew out his tachi. The blade was still smeared. Those blue eyes opened wide with terror. The sword fell from his trembling hands; then his face was buried in them. "No… …"He whispered wretchedly.

The blazing sound of police sirens filled the night air. Tori and Sam forced themselves to their feet.

"Someone must have called the cops!" Samantha cried fearfully. "Come on we should get going." She rounded on Kenshin. "What are you waiting for? MOVE!"

But Himura didn't stir. He did even lower his hands. But remained on his knees, his bleeding hand staining his alreadyred kimono.

"Come on! Get up!" Tori pleaded.

At that moment the cop car sped into view, lightsflashing brilliantly. Samantha fled upon the instant and Tori hesitantly followed. The two ran down the street they had first come by. Samantha went all the way home, by Tori stopped only a few feet away from the hose. She looked around franticly before diving behind a car. She had to see what would happen to Kenshin. She felt somewhat guilty for leaving him, but could not bring herself to go back.

The cars swerved to a stop in front of the yard. The officers spring from the vehicles. They noted immediately the two bodies lying in the grass and Kenshin on his knees between them, hands and sword stained with blood. It did not take long to put it together. Guns were out of their holsters. Kenshin heard them being drawn and looked about in surprise, as though he was only just aware of officers, and saw ten odd gun barrels pointed at his face.

"Get on your feet away from the weapon. Hands where we can see them! No fast moves!" an officer shouted.

Kenshin obeyed. He rose, offhanded, his legs still clearly feeble. For a moment it look as thought they would give way. He was cuffed, and forced into the police car, if forced is the right word. He didn't speak a word, didn't try to resist. After the first car drove away, the officerssplit to search the area. Tori decided it was a good time to split herself.

* * *

Well, that was a bit more dramatic, was it not? Poor Kenshin (squeal .) Thanks for the reviews.I'm working on the grammar! Sorry about it >. 


End file.
